12 Streaming Era Star Trek Episodes We're Adding To 'The Classics'

Those Old Scientists was never meant to be taken seriously. Thankfully, that was absolutely the point, and it works so much in its favour. Adding animated characters to live-action settings was always going to be a challenge. Thanks to Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid's comic timing, performances, and overall energy, the episode was a triumph of nonsense from start to finish.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds didn't seem the obvious choice for a crossover with Lower Decks, so when it was announced at Comic-Con, heads were thoroughly scratched. The episode that was delivered begins and ends in animation, but spends the bulk of its time in live-action, with Newsome and Quaid playing their animated characters 'very realistically.'

The episode is a home run of comedy, though this is not just thanks to the performances. Both shows had established themselves before attempting a crossover this risky. It worked because the audience was already invested in Pike's crew and the whacky twosome. Seeing them come together, slipping in as many meta-references as they could get away with, while saving space for a little pathos as well, was gold pressed latinum.

Lower Decks was known for its comedy from its opening episode, while Strange New Worlds used it a little more sparingly. Seeing the crews intermingle was a gift for the fans, pushed the plot forward, and offered a glimpse into the bonkers minds of the writers. 

Surely, though, the peak moment was Boimler's leg swing, accompanied by his high-pitched 'Rrrriiiiiiiiker!'